A Great and Powerful Wrath

A Letter from Cadence

A new day was starting and like always, Starlight and Twilight were eating breakfast. While Twilight did not have a whole lot planned, Starlight had a friendship lesson scheduled with Pinkie to help run Sugarcube Corner in the morning and had plans to spend the afternoon with her best friend, Trixie. All of that would change in a hurry as the mail had arrived and a letter was addressed to both Twilight and Starlight.

Spike ran in and shouted, "Twilight, Starlight, you got mail from the Crystal Empire!"

While Starlight looked on in curiosity while Twilight's ears shot up, "What, we got mail from Cadence?"

Twilight grabbed the letter from Spike and began to read it. A mile wide smile developed on her face as she continued, "I can't believe it has been a year already!"

Starlight asked, "A year since what?"

Twilight shouted, "A year since Flurry Hearts' birth! She's turning one and Cadence wants all of us up there!"

Starlight asked, "So when would we be leaving?"

Twilight replied, "Tomorrow! Oh I'm so excited to get to see my family again!"

Twilight began to bounce around in joy as not only would she be able to see her niece, but also her brother and sister in law. Starlight seemed happy as well but wanted to know one thing. She asked, "I wonder if Cadence would be ok if we brought Trixie too?"

Twilight replied, "I'm not sure but given that she is your friend and we've all grown a bit closer with her, I'm guessing she could come."

Starlight squealed, "Sweet! Shall we go and tell all of our friends that we have been invited up for Flurry's birthday?"

Twilight replied, "Yes, we should." She looked at Spike and continued, "Come on Spike, let's go!"

Spike replied, "Okey dokey."

Telling Their Friends

Applejack

The three headed out to notify their friends and the first one they decided to notify was Applejack. As they approached Sweet Apple Acres they noticed that the Apple family was a bit more frantic than normal, working in a field that Twilight normally doesn't see them in. She saw Applejack and yelled, "Hey Applejack!"

Applejack stopped her work and replied, "Hi Twilight, Hi Starlight, Hi Spike!"

Twilight asked, "Applejack, I got a letter in the mail today inviting all of us to Flurry Hearts' first birthday party and I was wondering if you would want to come?"

Applejack pointed her hoof towards the orchard and replied, "I'd love to but the zapapples are coming in three days and you know what will happen if I'm not here to help harvest them."

Twilight sighed, "I know, I know, at the end of the fifth day they all zap away."

Applejack continued, "Well maybe some other time we could see if we could pay her a visit?"

Twilight replied, "Maybe." She looks at Starlight and continued, "Maybe our other friends won't be so busy."

Rarity

After leaving the farm the three headed to The Carousel Boutique. Spike's eyes widened in anticipation like they always do when they go to see Rarity. As they headed in they saw Rarity frantically saying to herself, "I'm going to have to find more gems than ever to get these outfits......" Before she could finish her sentence she saw Twilight and continued, "Twilight darling, Starlight, Spike, what brings you by?"

Twilight replied, "Well I got a letter from Cadence inviting us all to go up to the Crystal Empire for Flurry Hearts' first birthday."

Rarity gasped, "What, it has been a year already?"

Twilight asked, "Yes, it has and I was wondering if you'd want to come since Applejack can't?"

Rarity looked back towards her inspiration room and replied, "I'm sorry darling but I just got a huge order from both Sapphire Shores and RaRa. They need me to make outfits for their upcoming tours."

Twilight asked, "So when do they need them?

Rarity sighed, "Well Sapphire put her order in late and needs them in a week and RaRa's need to be done by the week after that." She threw her hooves up in the air and continued, "And unfortunately, Sapphire wants each of the six costumes done in a different gem pattern so I have to go out and find gems."

Twilight asked, "So I take it you won't be able to go?"

Rarity replied, "I'm sorry darling but I have to get these outfits made." She then began batting her eyes at Spike and asked, "And would my Spikey Wikey like to stay and help me gather gems?"

Spike dreamily replied, "Anything for you Rarity."

This did not sit well with Twilight. She raised her voice, "Spike, you've been invited to this and you know the crystal ponies would love to see you again."

While Spike would normally love to go to the Empire and receive the adoration of the citizens there he replied, "While I would like to Twilight, Rarity needs my help."

Twilight sighed, "Fine, you stay here with Rarity. Come on Starlight, maybe one of our other friends will come."

Pinkie Pie

Starlight nodded and they headed to Sugarcube Corner. Once they got there Pinkie immediately greeted them, "Hiya Starlight, hi Twilight."

Twilight replied, "Hi Pinkie, I have something I have to ask you."

Pinkie asked, "You have something to ask me? I have something to ask Starlight." She took a breath before continuing, "Starlight, you were supposed to be here thirty minutes ago! Where have you been?"

Starlight replied, "Well Twilight and I got some mail from Cadence and we have something to ask you."

Twilight added, "We got letter telling all of us that we are invited to Flurry Hearts' birthday party. We were wondering if you would want to come?"

Pinkie looked around and replied, "I wish I could but the Cakes are going to be gone for a week and I have to babysit and watch the store."

Twilight threw her hooves up in the air and sighed, "Well three down, two to go."

Starlight said, "Don't you mean three to go? We are asking Trixie too."

While Twilight did not want to take Trixie, she knew how Starlight would be if they didn't ask her. She replied, "Yes, I meant three."

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash

After getting done at Sugarcube Corner the two headed towards Fluttershy's cottage hoping that she would be able to go with them. Much to their surprise, they found not only Fluttershy there, but also Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy saw them and said, "Oh hi Twilight, hi Starlight."

Rainbow added, "Hi Twi, so what's up?"

Twilight replied, "Well I, I should say we, have come to let you know something. Cadence sent me a letter letting me know that Flurry Hearts' first birthday is coming up and we are wondering if you two would want to go up to the Crystal Empire with us."

Fluttershy replied, "Well I would love to but Angel isn't feeling very good."

The two turned their attention to Rainbow and Starlight asked, "What about you Rainbow?"

Rainbow replied, "Sorry guys but the Wonderbolts are going to be doing a couple of shows over the next week so I can't."

Twilight developed a scowl on her face causing Fluttershy to say, "I'm sorry Twilight, please don't be mad at me but Angel is sick and I can't just leave him alone like this!"

Twilight sighed, "Oh it's alright. I'm sure Cadence will understand." She turned to Starlight and continued, "Well, I guess we should go see if Trixie will come with us."

Starlight smiled, "Oh I'm sure she will. Her and I are best friends and if I'm going somewhere, she'll want to go too."

Twilight mumbled, "I know but I wish she wouldn't."

Trixie

As they headed towards Trixie's wagon Twilight couldn't help but have a look of disgust on her face. While her and Trixie were no longer enemies and did get along now, she still didn't like having to spend extended periods of time with her. As they approached her wagon Twilight sighed, "Well Starlight, do you want to knock on her door? You are much closer with her than I am."

Starlight nodded and knocked on the door. They could hear irritated mumbling coming from inside until Trixie opened the door. She grumbled, "Who are you and why are you disturbing The Great and Powerful....." It was then that she saw Starlight and her mood changed completely. She leapt out into Starlight's hooves and said, "Oh hi Starlight! I didn't know it was you!"

Starlight replied, "It's alright."

Twilight walked over by her and asked, "Trixie, I have a question to ask you."

Trixie sighed, "Oh and what is it you wish to ask The Great and Powerful Trixie?"

Twilight rolled her eyes at her response but continued, "Well I, I guess I should say we, received a letter from Cadence and she wants me, Starlight and our friends to go up to the Crystal Empire for Flurry Hearts' first birthday."

At first Trixie seemed very disinterested until Starlight chimed in, "The two of us are going to go up there and we were wondering, would you want to come with us up to Flurry's party?"

While deep down Trixie wasn't overly thrilled over the idea of attending, she knew who lived in the Crystal Empire and was quite certain that Starlight would likely meet up with him and that was something Trixie wanted to try to prevent or at least monitor. She smiled at Starlight and replied, "Yes, The Great and Powerful Trixie would love to come."

Starlight hugged her and said, "Thank you Trixie. I'm so glad you're going to join us."

Trixie asked, "So when are we going to be leaving to do this?"

Twilight replied, "Well we were going to leave tomorrow morning but since the rest of our friends can't go we thought we would leave today."

Trixie did have a show planned for that night to make some money but realized that she had to go. While she had never admitted it to anypony, she had a crush on Starlight and did not want to let her and Sunburst maybe grow close so she replied, "Trixie thinks that would be a good idea."

Twilight replied, "Well ladies, shall we get going?"

In unison Starlight and Trixie said, "Yes, let's get going."

After getting her trailer locked up, Trixie and her friends headed towards the train station. While Twilight's main concern was seeing her family, Starlight did look forward to talking to Sunburst again while Trixie's only concern was making sure that her crush would not be wooed away by Sunburst.